Date Lab

Take one professional do-gooder, add an elegant sophisticate, and stir. Will it be the perfect cocktail?

7:30 p.m., Mourayo, Dupont Circle

Enoh: I got to the restaurant a bit early and was taken to our table. I was looking at the wine list when I saw him walk in and look around. I smiled, so he walked over. I was slightly surprised that he was white, only because I've never seen any mixed-race couples in Date Lab. But it doesn't make any difference at all. I've dated men who weren't black.

David: I'd come from a screening of a documentary about coffee cooperatives in Rwanda. It put me in a hopeful mood. I walked into the restaurant and saw a beautiful black woman sitting by herself. I'd assumed she'd be of African descent [from her first name]. To me, race is just no factor whatsoever. I've spent time in Africa, and I think Africans are really interesting. I sat down and immediately thought, "Wow, she's very engaging."

Enoh: He's not necessarily my type, but he had a gentle, down-to-earth demeanor that I really liked. There seemed to be no slickness or pretense about him at all, which is very refreshing.

David: She was careful in choosing what she wanted from the menu and talked about how much she liked food. I can't rattle off the finest restaurants in the city, but I can cook. I recently made some pistachio soup that was a real hit -- I should've mentioned that. [Laughs]

Enoh: We talked about his work around the issues of global HIV/AIDS. I liked that he was so committed to what he does; he's very passionate. That's 100 percent my type of person. I also work in international development.

David: I was very flattered that she was so interested, and I thought her work was important and interesting, as well. I liked that she wasn't the usual D.C. person who worked long hours and neglected her personal life. We both admire a more European approach, where you take long vacations or take time to stop at a cafe for lunch.

Enoh: Halfway through the meal, I gave him the usual lesson on pronouncing my name. Think about spelling "no": En-oh.

He said he liked African music quite a lot. He even knew about Kilimanjaro, an old club in Adams Morgan that played soukous music. He seems to be open to different experiences.

David: She wasn't flirting, really, but I didn't take that to mean she wasn't interested. She's reserved in a British sort of way. She has this dignified posture combined with a bubbly, friendly side. Refined, but not snobby. I found it quite charming.

Enoh: We really didn't talk about our dating experiences. I mentioned in the course of things that I'd been divorced. He just absorbed it, didn't really comment. We did talk about politics quite a lot. I'm transparent -- I'm not a Republican.

David: I mentioned that I was planning to volunteer for an Obama rally over the weekend, so I probably didn't have to shout that I wasn't a Republican, either. She was very tuned in to current events, which is incredibly important to me.

Enoh: I don't have a car, so [after dinner] he asked if he could drive me home. When I got out, we shook hands, and he said, "It was a real pleasure," in a very genuine way. I had a lovely time -- it was a 4 out of 5. If we'd talked a bit more about the personal things, I'd have gotten a fuller sense of who he was and had even more of a connection. I'd be very happy to see him again.

David: We exchanged phone numbers and e-mail addresses and agreed to go out again soon. I'd give the date a 5. She was so friendly and lively and charming. I left with the feeling that it could go beyond that night.

Interviews by Jill Hudson Neal

UPDATE: David and Enoh met again for dinner less than a week later.

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